Both Mr Reynolds and Mr Doughty cited their anger at Mr Corbyn’s sacking of Pat McFadden - who claimed he had been fired for speaking out over the Paris terror attacks - as their reason for stepping down from the shadow cabinet.

Mr Jones explained he could not work with new shadow defence secretary Emily Thornberry, who opposes the renewal of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.

In his resignation letter to the Labour leader, Mr Jones stated his belief “it is the right policy for the country to maintain a minimum credible nuclear deterrent”.

Mr Doughty said he was “dismayed” at Mr Corbyn’s sacking of shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher as well as Mr McFadden - who had both been branded 'disloyal' by Mr Corbyn's supporters.

Mr Reynolds said the removal of Mr McFadden pushed him “over the edge”.

Commenting on his sacking, Mr McFadden this morning told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "He said he felt it was an attack on him and that he had come to the conclusion because of that and one or two other things that I shouldn't continue.

"I think when we say that terrorist attacks are somehow our responsibility, we run the danger of not defending our own societies strongly enough, so this was a difference of substance.

"He clearly feels that me saying that terrorists are entirely responsible for their actions, that no one forces anyone to kill innocent people in Paris, blow up the London Underground, to behead innocent aid workers in Syria, that when I say they are entirely responsible for that he clearly interpreted that as an attack on him."

Mr Benn immediately risked breaking his new gagging orders from Mr Corbyn by praising Mr McFadden following his sacking.

The shadow foreign secretary posted on Twitter: “Pat McFadden made an outstanding contribution as shadow minister in arguing the case for Britain's place in EU. Privilege to work with him.”

GETTY

Hilary Benn has been gagged by the Labour leader

Former Labour leadership candidate Liz Kendall also voiced her support for Mc McFadden, writing: “Well said @patmcfaddenmp: terrorists are responsible for their actions; no-1 makes them rape or behead people or throw gay men off buildings.”

And Dudley MP Ian Austin despaired at how Mr McFadden had been sacked “for criticising ISIS”.

Mr Benn was widely expected to lose his own job after directly contradicting the Labour leader by supporting RAF airstrikes against ISIS last month, despite Mr Corbyn granting his MPs a ‘free vote’ on the issue.

Mr Corbyn is believed to have been left irritated after Mr Benn won almost unprecedented applause within the House of Commons with his speech in favour of military action, which he delivered from Labour’s front bench.

But Mr Corbyn appears to have backed away from getting rid of Mr Benn after agreeing a new set of rules with his shadow team.

Asked if the shadow foreign secretary had now been gagged, Mr Corbyn’s closest ally and shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "Hilary Benn has ensured that he works more closely with Jeremy in the future and that he will be representing the views of the Parliamentary Labour Party and when it comes down to future debates we won't have a situation where he will be speaking from the frontbench when there is a major disagreement on policy and where the Parliamentary Labour Party is in the majority against him.

"He has recognised the mandate that Jeremy Corbyn has with our members, an overwhelming mandate, and he'll recognise his leadership on this issue."

But Mr Benn denied he had been "muzzled" by the Labour leadership.

He told the BBC: "I haven’t been muzzled. I’m going to be carrying on doing my job exactly as before, which is speaking for Labour on foreign policy, supporting Jeremy Corbyn and campaign really hard to get Labour elected at the next general election."

TWITTER

Emily Thornberry resigned after sending this Tweet

On future free votes, Mr McDonnell said Mr Corbyn will "represent the Parliamentary Labour Party at the frontbench".

He added: "If there is a disagreement and people on a free vote want to express their views they will do it from the backbenches.”